Charity Status

We are a charity and a company limited by guarantee. Our purpose is defined in our governing document as:

Increasing the knowledge of the branch of science known as psychoanalysis including, but not limited to, training persons to practise psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy and improving the treatment of psychological and mental health problems by the technique of psychoanalysis.

As a charity, we are run to provide benefit to the public.

The Board

We are governed by a Board, who are the trustees of the charity and the directors of the company. The Board sets our strategy, regularly checks our progress against our strategic aims, and is responsible for shaping our culture.

Some members of the Board, including the President, are elected by those psychoanalysts who are our members. Other members of the Board are appointed by the Board. The President chairs the Board. The Board meets every month.

Our strategy

The Board has identified the following strategic aims to guide its work over the next few years:

To increase the impact of the Society in the UK and internationally, for the benefit of the public, by

Attracting a larger number of trainee psychoanalysts without compromising the quality of our training;

Attracting a larger number of people, for whom intensive analysis would be appropriate, into treatment with Society members and candidates;

Promoting our international profile;

Promoting psychoanalytic ideas, and building strong links with other disciplines;

Establishing a psychoanalytical profession which encompasses different trainings and skills, acknowledging other therapeutic approaches and the research relevant to our work;

Putting in place the organisational structures, the human and physical infrastructure, and culture change to support the above strategic aims

You can find out what work we have planned this year to progress our strategy by looking at our annual management plan.

Mission Statement

We aim to develop our position as the leading centre of excellence in the UK in the provision of psychoanalytic training, education, publication and clinical practice and to develop a professional organisation for the furthering of psychoanalysis through diversity and debate.

To support the development of psychoanalytical knowledge as a general theory of mind.

To maintain and further the clinical and scientific standards of psychoanalysis.

To promote an internal culture where a diversity of psychoanalytic theories and techniques are valued and can be debated with intellectual openness.

To train high quality psychoanalytic professionals in sufficient numbers to maintain and develop the profession of psychoanalysis.

To provide and/or support high quality psychoanalytic treatment.

To disseminate knowledge about psychoanalysis, to health and allied professionals.

To promote the contribution of the discipline of psychoanalysis to public and intellectual life.

To form mutually collaborative clinical and academic links with other organisations (public sector, academic and charitable) which support the furtherance of the above aims.

To work as appropriate with and/or within national and international organisations in the interests of psychoanalysis and the psychoanalytic profession.

To maintain the physical and administrative facilities necessary for the above activities to take place in an appropriate and professional environment.